Österreichische Alpenfahrt
The Österreichische Alpenfahrt (also known as the Austrian Alpine Rally or the Rally of Austria) was a rally that was part of the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973.
History
The Alpenfahrt was first run in 1910 (making it older than the Rally Monte Carlo) and was considered as one of the hardest rallies in Europe before the First World War.
The cars at this time were unreliable and mountain roads were sometimes no more than steep insecure paths. Nevertheless, between 1912 and 1914 Audi Type Cs proved reliable and rapid enough to win the rally in three successive years.[1]
The last rally for more than three decades took place in 1914.
After the First World War Austria couldn't finance the event alone, but with the participation of many Automobile Associations around the alps an international Alpine Rally could be held from 1928 to 1936. The rally ran through Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
The first Austrian Alpenfahrt after the Second World War started in 1949. Until around 1965 mostly motorcycles entered the Rally (due to economical reasons). From 1965 to 1973 cars regained the majority in the entrylist. The 1973 Austrian Alpine Rally was part of the 1973 World Rally Championship, but after that year the Rally ceased to exist because of the Oil Crisis.
In 2002 the Rally was restarted as Internationale Österreichische Alpenfahrt Classic Rallye, which celebrated the centenary of the Alpenfahrt at Bad Kleinkirchheim in 2010.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Car | Event report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Achim Warmbold | BMW 2002tii | Report |
Literature and sources
- Martin Pfundner: 100 Jahre Alpenfahrt, Böhlau Verlag, Wien-Köln-Weimar 2010 ISBN 978-3-205-78529-3
- Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos 1920-1945, Band (vol) 2 (in German). Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02170-6.
- ↑ Oswald, p 41
External links
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